Formal Name: Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika).
Short Form: Lithuania (Lietuva).
Term for Citizen(s): Lithuanian(s).
Capital: Vilnius.
Date of Independence: On March 11, 1990, newly elected Lithuanian Supreme Soviet proclaimed independence; Soviet Union granted recognition September 6, 1991. February 16, Independence Day, national holiday; on this day in 1918, independent Republic of Lithuania proclaimed.
Size: 65,200 square kilometers, approximately size of West Virginia.
Topography: Alternating lowlands and highlands; many lakes, particularly in east, and rivers. Fertile soil. Forest and wood-lands 28 percent; mainly pine, spruce, and birch. Arable land 49 percent; meadows and pastureland 22 percent. Highest ele-vation 297 meters.
Climate: Maritime position moderates otherwise continental climate. Average January temperature 1.6°C on coast and 2.1°C in Vilnius; average July temperature 17.8°C on coast and 18.1°C in Vilnius. Average annual precipitation 717 millimeters on coast and 490 millimeters in east.
Data as of January 1995